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Khalilzad welcomes Guiterres’ move to appoint Turkish envoy as Afghanistan coordinator
Former US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad on Wednesday welcomed the UN secretary general’s move to appoint a special coordinator on Afghanistan affairs and said the upcoming meeting in Doha must produce a road map for engagement with Kabul – a step that “will define the ambassador’s mission”.
In a series of tweets on Wednesday Khalilzad described Feridun Sinirlioglu as an “excellent choice” for the position and said the “ambassador has two great attributes: vast experience and good judgment.”
Khalilzad stated that “3 other steps are needed.” According to him, the meeting scheduled for May 1, which will be hosted by UN chief Antonio Guterres, “must produce a road map for international engagement with Afghanistan. Such a step will define the ambassador’s mission.”
He reiterated his previous suggestions and said: “As I have stated many times, the best option is for the implementation of the still open steps in the Doha Agreement. It would be important that Ambassador Sirilinirlioglu attend this meeting.”
He also suggested a meeting with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) during the Doha gathering “to determine their commitment to full and complete implementation of the Doha agreement.”
The May 1 meeting aims to drum up international engagement around common objectives for a durable way forward on the situation in Afghanistan.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said recently that “the Secretary-General has said and continues to believe that it’s an urgent priority to advance an approach based on pragmatism and principles, combined with strategic patience, and to identify parameters for creative, flexible, principled, and constructive engagement.
“It is his aim that the discussions, which will be held behind closed doors, can contribute to a more unified consensus regarding the challenges ahead,” Dujarric said.
The IEA has however revisited the issue of Afghanistan’s seat at the UN and repeated their call last week for the seat to be handed over to the IEA’s designated representative.
“Without a doubt, this is an injustice to the people of Afghanistan. A great nation in this region should have its place in the United Nations, and in all discussions about Afghanistan, there should be the real representative of the people of Afghanistan, which is currently the Islamic Emirate,” Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman of IEA, said.
He said that putting pressure on the IEA will not work and it will rather undermine the credibility of the foreign community.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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